USFSS
MissionThe mission of
USFSS is to promote,
support, coordinate, and develop mushing activities in the United States, to
promote and encourage the welfare of sled dog and human athletes and to foster
appreciation for the traditions and history of the sport. As the national
governing body of sled dog sports in the United States, USFSS is further
committed to the ideals and guidelines of the United States Olympic Committee
(USOC).

Also, please note that
if you are interested in obtaining a DID for accruing points, this
DID will need to be renewed every year as well through USFSS/IFSS.
The DID renews June 1 of every year.

Be sure to not let your USFSS
membership lapse, since you must be a CURRENT USFSS member to
accrue points with a valid DID.

Your membership and sponsorship dollars are very important. The USFSS is
the national governing body of sleddog sports in the USA. As such it
is the nationally-recognized representative to the International
Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS). USFSS’s annual dues to IFSS of
$1,000 helps foster international development and the health and well
being of the human athletes and their canine partners.

Your USFSS dues
further the goals and mission of USFSS.
In particular, membership
and sponsorship contributions help organize World Cup races and the USFSS National
Championship. They help US athletes attain their dream of being a
member of Team USA and participating in the IFSS World
Championships.

However,
as with most sports, the needs are many and resources few. USFSS is
an all-volunteer organization, so every bit of help counts. Unlike
most countries, the US government does not contribute any monetary
support to USA sports. Therefore, every dollar of membership
and sponsorship is important. Each membership
and contribution has a direct impact on efforts to provide programs
and assist US athletes.

Contributions are also significant for
training and certifying officials, i.e., race judges and doping
control personnel. Contributions encourage research in the areas of
sports medicine and sports safety for both the human and the canine
athlete.

Sponsorship and membership
are not so much about philanthropy as about branding the ideals of
our sport to the athletes and their canine partners. Your membership
helps to fund the IFSS and all its programs as well as USFSS national
promotion and programming. IFSS membership
affords USFSS the
opportunity of voice and participation in the national and
international world of sport. Of prime importance are the fight
against doping and the development of youth programs. Your membership
contributions help to foster growth among the elite of the sport as
well as newcomers, recreationalists and youth and handicapped
persons.

Please
join to help our wonderful sport. USFSS is
a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation is
tax-deductible.

Team USA apparel
is now available to September 2nd. Items will be shipped on
September 25th for the upcoming dryland season.

August 8th 2018

IFSS Update
from Helen Lundberg, IFSS President

Dear all

I
want to share some of the latest news and updates with you. We are
approaching the 2018 European Continental Championship Dryland that
will take place in Nybro Sweden October 24-28th. Invitation and
related documents will be uploaded to the IFSS website.

IFSS new website is now up and running designed and managed by Web
Master, Kjell Ek. Kjell Ek will also assist as IFSS GDPR officer and
to make sure IFSS follow this new law, when it comes to handling of
information, he has created new contact emails and a result of this
also some emails are not in use any longer.

Below you will find the updated list of emails for Council and
committees/commissions. If you recently have sent email to an IFSS
official without any response, please resend to the updated email.

The IFSS Race Rules approved by
Council have had a few spelling errors corrected and the updated
version is now posted on the website under Documents.

World Championship Snow and Dryland 2019

Links to websites for the World Championship events Snow and Dryland
2019 will soon be posted on IFSS website.

DID registration from European countries:

As indicated on the European Championships Dryland Invitation, no
DID from European countries will be registered between October 15
and October 28. All registrations to the EC Dryland will be checked
for correct DID number and correct age class. DID registration from
non European countries will be processed as usual.

Sincerely,

Helen
IFSS President

July 18, 2018

IFSS Update
from Helen Lundberg, IFSS President

Here are some of the latest news I want to share with you mid July.

Race Rules:
IFSS Race Rules has been approved by Council. This set of Race Rules are now
valid starting out on July 16th 2018. The approved version of Race Rules are
now posted on IFSS Website.

World Championship 2019 on
Snow Bessans, France:
​Classes and preliminary schedule for the upcoming IFSS World
Championships On Snow 2019 in Bessans​, France have now been decided on.
Information can be found from IFSS website http://www.sleddogsport.net/ifss-wc-snow-2019-france/.

Questions will be also answered by Eeva Äijälä, IFSS Vice President of
Sport - email: vp.sport@sleddogsport.net
Additional information will be posted online as soon as they are
available.

ESDRA/IFSS agreement:
I am glad to inform that Robert Schiesser and I have signed the renewed
agreement between ESDRA and IFSS to cover the time period from July 1st
2018 to June 30th 2019.

European Championship Dryland 2018:
Information posted on IFSS website and also check out website for the
event http://ech2018.se/

IFSS new website:
IFSS Webmaster Kjell Ek has been working hard on the new website and it
will soon be ready to launch. The transition from old to new site will
hopefully go very smooth without any down time.

In an approach to increase
our professionalism, there is an objective to bring about apparel and
accessories to accommodate athletes, members, and prospective fans.
First, we need to hear from you in regards of how to do this. What type
of clothing and accessories do you feel will give you a more
professional look while representing the US Federation.

The clothing and
accessories would ideally be used while doing community outreaches in
your area, while traveling to and from events, and everyday use. There
are many options available through:
www.4imprint.com . Please
browse through the wide array of products that you might feel would be
widely used, particularly clothing. For now, the focus is on Summer
wear. However, as you look over the available inventory, brainstorm for
future fall and winter clothing and outerwear that may appeal for your
needs. There may be a future ordering for these clothing wear

To narrow down, the ideal
options would be a performance polo and T-shirts. Additional options
would be nice button down dress shirts. All clothing would be
embroidered with the USFSS logo. A choice between white or blue clothing
may help minimize the broad array of options. There will also be Men’s
and Women’s options for each. Keep in mind that there are higher end
brand names such as Nike and Under Armour, but to keep costs down, we
will focus on other brand quality wear that still looks and feels
professional.

Once we have a general
consensus of apparel, an order will be put out for those interested in
ordering and will be available to the public. The clothing will be
marked up a little to help increase revenue funds for the Federation.
However, USFSS members and Athletes may be void of this fee increase
without the additional financial costs. Most items will be on a
pre-order basis. Depending on logistics, additional items maybe ordered
if anyone is in need of additional clothing.

Please e-mail Chris
Speers at
backroadhuskies@outlook.com
or call/text 765-409-4878. Additionally, you may contact Mike Marsch at
dogdaze@tds.net.
Thank you for taking this step in helping to develop a more professional
looking Federation. We appreciate your feedback and input, and look
forward to working closely with 4imprint for our needs.

IFSS General Assembly was held in Stockholm,
Sweden June 16-17, 2018 hosted by SDSF Swedish Federation. IFSS member
delegates worldwide had gathered for two days of discussions and meetings.
Attached you will find Minutes from GA meeting.

Both nominated for the vacant Vice President
Sport and Vice President Economy was fully trusted by the General Assembly
and re-elected by acclamation for a four year period 2018 - 2022. Eeva
Äijälä, Finland as Vice President Sport and Morten Sørensen, Norway as Vice
President Economy.

IFSS welcomes Chile as full voting member and
FIDASC Federazione Italiana Discipline Armi Sportive da Caccia as an
Associate Member.

IFSS General Assembly voted in favor of
both applications.

IFSS also welcomes three new Continental
Directors who will serve for a two year period.

Bengt Pontén, Sweden has been elected as
Continental Director Europe.

Ray Holliday is the new Continental Director
for Oceania and Konrad Jakob has been elected to Continental Director
South America.

Rebecca Knight was re-elected as Continental
Director North America and so was Jay Kim for Asia.

Please read the document
linked below from Mike Marsch, President of USFSS, who is asking for input and
support for the upcoming trip to Arlandastad, Sweden to represent US interests
at the IFSS General Assembly from June 15-17.

We have received over 20
motions from USFSS members to make changes to the current race rules. For
these proposals to be properly represented to the GA it is imperative
that USFSS / Mike attend,
and he, via USFSS, is asking for support, financially to be able to make
this trip happen. We are also hoping for input on these motions as well.

We will be getting the
information out to you very soon, and the motions that USFSS are submitting
will be up on our website early next week for your review and so that you too,
can provide input.

Please review the attached, and please consider
supporting USFSS and Mike in making the trip to this very important meeting
happen --- and please also let us know if you have any questions.

The
deadline date for agenda items to be sent to the President is May 4,
2018.

Please read and follow the Policy and Procedure when
submitting motions! (Click here)

In
accordance with Article C.5.2 of the IFSS By Laws, the Draft Agenda will be
sent out before May
10, 2018, to enable to formulate possible modification
proposals by May
31, 2018 (Article C.5.3 of the By Laws).

Please take a moment to review and complete the
attached template for motions at the upcoming IFSS General Assembly. This
is our opportunity to make changes to how our sport is managed and regulated.
Please feel free to disseminate this information to clubs and athletes in your
region.

On behalf of IFSS Council I am pleased to announce that
the IFSS World Championship 2019 Snow - Ski-Dogs, Sprint and Mid-distance,
will be organized in Bessans, France by Lekkarod Association, member club of
the FFST with the support of the League Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (Regional
league) and of the FFST (Fédération Française des Sports de Traineau).
Further information about the 2019 World Championship will be posted on IFSS
website as soon as it
is available.

I want to give a big thank you to the three other applicants for the WC
Snow 2019 - Italy, Russia and Sweden. It is very positive for our sport to
see that many countries want to organize championship events. I hope this
trend continues.

I also want to take this
opportunity to welcome applications for the 2021 World Championships both
on Snow and Dryland. For the World Championship Snow expression of
interest should be submitted by October 31st 2018 and for the World
Championship Dryland an interest application should be submitted no later
then July 31st 2019.

The purpose of these guidelines is to
define the information required for race-giving organizations (RGOs)
interested in bidding for and hosting a USFSS National Championship (NCh). The
RGO bid package will be presented to the USFSS Board of Directors for their
review and approval. USFSS urges that the application bid proposal be sent in
MS Word, Excel, PDF, and/or PowerPoint via email or on a CD. This will
facilitate sharing the bid proposal with the various USFSS decision makers,
who reside in different geographic locations throughout the United States.

oRepresent USFSS in the function of your duties and
responsibilities with integrity and honesty.

oCarry
out USFSS duties as assigned by President and agreed to by the board member.

oRepresent
USFSS membership by participating in USFSS board meetings and voting on how
the organization functions and operates.

oRepresent
your region of US residence by attending local club meetings while discussing
and listening to the concerns and issues of the dog powered sports community
at large, then sharing this information with USFSS board.

oBe
an advocate for USFSS athletes in your region and throughout the country.

oWork
with race organizers in your region to establish and develop WCp and
Championship races.

oWork
constructively with fellow board members in the process of governance.

oMaintain allegiance and abide to the mission and purpose of
USFSS as contained in our bylaw

Minnesota USA – The United
States Federation of Sleddog Sports (USFSS) is absolutely thrilled to announce
the selections for the first ever One and Two Dog USA National Team for the
2016-2017 race season. This pilot program for a National Team was conceived as
comprising the elite one and two dog teams in the USA to serve a one-year
membership. This program aims to develop members athletically through training
camps and prescribed training regiments designed to foster aerobic capacity
(both for athletes and their canine teammates) while building camaraderie and
pride for the beautiful country and federation that they represent. It is
hoped to build a team of elite performing competitors within the international
race circuit exhibiting both performance and character.

The eight women and nine men have
been chosen based on proven talent, careful and dedicated dog care, and the
aspirations they have shared that motivate them each day to be the best they
can be.

USFSS congratulates each of the
Team USA members on their selection. Each brings a unique skill set and array
of talent. USFSS hopes that by being a member of the USA Pilot National Team
each will grow to his or her highest potential and in turn share their
knowledge and passion with others. Younger athletes will look up to them as
leaders and role models and seek their advice. It is anticipated that the
National Team Program will expand in the coming years to include other classes
of racers. USFSS is proud to welcome these fine athletes to this special
program.

November 7th 2016

Dear all,

It has been a hectic
month for the board and council. There will always be “bumps” in the road and
obstacles to overcome. I truly hope we have left some of the worst behind us
and that we now can focus on the upcoming racing season here on the Northern
Hemisphere with the European Championship Dryland in UK November 17-20th
and then the World Championship Snow in Canada January 24-February 1st
2017.

Here are some of the
highlights of what council/board have been working with the last month.

2017 World
Championship Dryland

I am very glad to
announce that the 2017 IFSS DRYLAND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS will take place at
Szamotuly-Kozle, Poland on November 23-26, 2017.

Contract has been
signed between IFSS and Polish Association of Sleddog Sports.

WC Haliburton

Eeva Äijälä has been
responsible to finalize the Invitation for the World Championship Snow 2017 at
Haliburton Ontario Canada. The Invitation are now posted on the IFSS website
and has been sent out to all members.

Media Team

To optimize the
coverage and to get as much positive PR FSS will have a Media Team covering
the WC in Canada. Sarah Warford will be responsible for the team. She will
start working now and until the WC is finished.

SportAccord IF Forum

I have been invited
to be part of a discussion panel during SportAccord IF Forum in Lausanne
November 9-11th. The topic will be: EXPERIENCE IN ACTION -IF
Initiatives Promoting Active Lifestyles. Moderator: David Eades, Anchor and
Journalist, BBC World

This will be a great
opportunity to show our sport to all the federations at the SportAccord
meeting. I will have a short video and photos to show.

I will also attend AIMS council meeting Wednesday November 9th in Lausanne.

Council appoints
treasurer – Morten Sørensen

Christian Haeberli
announced at the GA 2016 that he wanted to resign as Vice President Economy.
Christian has kindly stayed on his position until September 30th, 2016.

To make sure IFSS
have a person who does the day-to-day economic transactions and bookkeeping
until a new VP Economy has been elected, council, with a full majority
appointed a treasurer Morten Sørensen from Norway. This position
is without any voting rights.

Morten has
accepted to help out until a new VP Economy has been elected. Morten will also
submit his application for the VP Economy position.

Council appointed
Morten Sørensen after making sure he had all the needed qualifications. He has
a 30-year experience of bookkeeping from his own business he is also currently
responsible for the economy/bookkeeping in one of Norways largest bird hunting
clubs. Morten has submitted his CV and also references from Nils Finsrud and
Anne-Grethe Sætrang - who is IFSS Anti Doping Committee chair and she is also
owner of an accounting business in Norway.

Also of high
importance - Morten knows the sleddog sport - he has been involved since the
80s as president of several clubs, board member of the Norwegian Federation,
Race Judge for Sled sprint/Skidog/Mid distance and Long Distance events - both
national and International. Morten is also a DCO and he will be at both EC in
UK and at the WC in Halburton taking care of the tests.

Morten has also
signed the Code of Ethics.

Vice President
Sport Election

We have an upcoming
email election of VP Sport and to make sure that the election will be
correctly executed the board and I have asked Legal Commission for advice.

Executive Director
Eeva Äijälä is one of the candidates for the VP Sport position and therefore
she can’t perform the election. Following the advice given by Legal Commission
the Council have appointed an "acting Executive Director" to conduct the
members email voting. Bernard Pepin, who has a long experience
of elections during his time as Executive Director - he resigned in 2014, has
kindly offered to assist and help with the VP Sport election.

The USFSS (US Federation of
Sleddog Sports) is please to announce a project, National Team Pilot Project,
with the goal of producing outstanding elite one and two dogs teams. This will
be done through training camps and other activities that will promote the
athleticism of both the human and canine and develop camaraderie. An application
and letter are provided. Please note that the application deadline date has been
extended to October 15, 2016.

It is with great enthusiasm we
are opening the application process for the first-ever USFSS National Team
Pilot Program. Potential applicants should be aware that this program is
geared towards one and two dog teams. It is our hope to see this program
flourish and grow to be an all-encompassing USFSS National Team with all
classes represented in the future.

We are soliciting all United
States one and two dog athletes aspiring to compete successfully at the World
Cup and World Championship level to apply. It is the goal of this program,
with the help of a USFSS certified Executive Committee, to choose the eight
most qualified applicants, as well as two reserve athletes, to serve a
one-year membership. Aspiring applicants should be aware that this program
aims to develop members athletically through training camps, prescribed
training regiments designed to foster aerobic capacity (both for athletes and
their canine teammates), while building camaraderie and pride for the
beautiful country and federation that we represent.

It is our hope that we will
build a team of elite performing competitors within the international race
circuit exhibiting both performance and character. We encourage all interested
athletes to apply, but please note you must be a current USFSS member.
Applications will be accepted through October 1st. If you have any questions
regarding your application, please contact Kale Casey (kalecasey@gmail.com)
or Jessica Pulliam (pulliam151@hotmail.com).

August 16, 2016 – The US Federation of Sleddog
Sports (USFSS) is seeking applicants for selection to Team USA to compete in the
IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) World Championships 2017 at
Haliburton, Ontario Canada, January 24-February 1, 2017.

Entry is open to all US citizens and US residents. Non-US
citizens must be approved by the USFSS board. Competition classes will be
offered in the sprint classes (4-,6-,8-dog), in skijoring, pulka and combined in
the ski-dog classes, and in mid-distance (8-dog) and long distance (unlimited)
classes. Junior classes will also be held in 4-dog sprint and skijoring. A mass
start is planned in the 4-dog sprint class in addition to the regular
interval-based start.

Applications are available online on Facebook (facebook.com/usfss.org)
and on the USFSS website (www.usfss.org).
The initial application is submitted online. There is also other information
regarding the selection process at these Internet sites. The deadline for
submission of applications is September 15, 2016.

Questions may be addressed to the USFSS president, Mike
Marsch (dogdaze@tds.net).

August
10, 2016

IFSS Winter
World Championships Application

The
time to apply is here! The moment you have all been waiting for!!

Note:
You must be a current USFSS member with a current DID to apply. Everyone who
wants to race, must apply, including pre-selected athletes.

Minnesota USA, July 7, 2016 –
Sleddog athletes from the USA made a grand showing in this past season’s IFSS
(International Federation of Sleddog Sports) World Cup Series. This is a
testament to their fine athleticism and skills as well as to that of their
canine partners. It is also a tribute to the excellent races that were part of
the year’s World Cup Series. USA athletes from throughout the USA participated
in races in both the USA and Canada and other countries in the world. The top
three World finishers in each class receive automatic berths to the next World
Championships in the participating discipline.

The IFSS World Cup Series is a
designation used by Olympic and International Sports Federations (IFs) to
ascribe a worldwide ranking system for their sport’s participants. In a given
year, IFs set up a World Cup Series of competitive events through which
participants earn points and are subsequently ranked on a worldwide basis
according to their performance in these premier events.

Following is a list of the USA
athletes and their placings. Athletes are ranked in North America and in the
World. Congratulations to all of the top finishers. USA athletes showed many
multiple class wins, and they deserve special recognition for their
accomplishments. Way to go USA!

Rebecca Knight of Basalt, Colorado, is the newly chosen
North American Continental Director to join of the IFSS (international
Federation of Sleddog Sports) council. She will serve a two-year term, replacing
Russ Gregory of Alberta, Canada. The North American Continental Director is
chosen from either Canada or the US, usually on an alternating basis.

This photojournalist turned musher and skijorer grew up in
Ohio, receiving her B.A. Degree from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, with
majors in Spanish and cinematography. She went on to work in her chosen field
for several newspapers throughout the Midwest and East.

A visit to Alaska in 1987 changed her life, however. She
soon moved to the 49th state and took up with the distance mushing
crowd, among them Joe Redington, Sr., the “Father of the Iditarod.” Knight spent
the next twenty years involved with the distance sector of mushing, including
spending 24 days crossing Alaska by dog team on Joe Redington’s Iditarod
Challenge trip. She worked various jobs from the tourism industry to a
veterinary clinic doing wildlife rehabilitation.

More recently, this outstanding athlete has taken up
skijoring and has represented the USA in sleddog World Championships in both
North America and Europe. She now lives with her husband Vic and small kennel of
canine partners in Colorado, where the open spaces provide endless trails and
showcase nature’s beauty.

Knight’s goals and hopes for her tenure as the North
American director are “to encourage the great forward momentum that North
America has seen in dog powered sports recently and to continue striving for
high quality and high standards in racing events and to ‘raise the bar,’ if you
will…and last, but not least, to promote education and clinics that will further
our sport.”

USFSS (US Federation of Sleddog Sports) is proud to count
Rebecca Knight on its own board of directors and to have her represent North
America to the IFSS.

January 26, 2016

The Great Alone
Comes to Local Theatres

The Great Alone,
a feature length documentary shot in the arctic wilderness of Alaska, is the
story of Lance Mackey’s rise as a world class musher and his courageous battle
with cancer. It is now scheduled for showing across the country in local
theaters (see schedule at www.thegreatalone.com/#tickets). Tickets are available
now in cities across the US and online. Some venues are already sold out!

From his sunniest days
as a boy by his famous father’s side to cancer’s attempt to unseat him, The
Great Alone pulls viewers along every mile of Lance’s emotional journey to
become one of the greatest sled dog racers of all time. This film celebrates the
sport of mushing and the mushing community.

As a Beargrease Sled Dog
Marathon fundraiser, this film was shown to a sold out crowd in Duluth, MN, in
November 2015, and featured Mackey in person. Now Different Drummer, producer of
marketing and distribution, is releasing the film in theaters across the country
on February 9th and February 23rd. Get your tickets now
and plan on an inspirational 80 minutes with a truly remarkable human being!

Bristol, Quebec
Canada – The clouds may have been in abundance, occasionally spilling
their wet contents on the IFSS (International Federation of Sled dog Sports)
Dryland World Championships in Bristol, Quebec, but the performances turned in
by USA competitors were brilliant. Over 200 teams from fifteen countries graced
the starting chutes in this remote village in Canada for four days of racing
October 29th-November 1st. The finish line resulted in
eighteen medals for Team USA, with nine golds, five silvers and four bronze
medals. Canada, with twelve medals, came in second in the medal count, and
France and Belgium, each with seven medals, followed.

In the adult classes, Peter Franke, a transplant from
Germany, garnered two gold medals, both in the Nordic Breed classes (Nordic
Breed 4-dog Rig and 2-dog Scooter). Andre Van der Merwe, a recent US immigrant
from South Africa, also scored in the Nordic Breed class, taking a bronze medal
in the Nordic 4-dog Rig class. Amy Cooper, ever the athlete, took the gold medal
in the Women’s Veteran Bikejor for women over 40 years of age. In fact, US women
took home all the medals in the Women’s Veteran Bikejor class. Kim Murphy
captured the silver medal, and Rebecca Knight the bronze.

The sun was definitely shining in the rig classes. In
addition to the Nordic Breed medals mentioned above, perhaps the most contested
race was in the 6-dog, where Mike Marsch overcame a first day’s time deficit of
a split second to best Canadian competitor Ken Bernard on day two by a total of
.659 of a second to win the gold. That was a close and exciting race! Angie
Carter grabbed the bronze in the Rig 4-dog, and Chris Carter took the silver
medal in the Rig 8-dog class.

Competitors and personnel gathered Saturday evening for a
festive Halloween banquet, complete with the clown brigade and lots of good food
and drink. Jim Cunningham, the able race marshal, did the emceeing. The
highlight of the evening perhaps was Cunningham’s announcement that Canadian
Sarah Warford’s dog had been “captured.” A huge round of applause erupted
throughout the banquet hall. Sara had competed in the Women’s Canicross. As she
crossed the finish line on Saturday, injured and exhausted, her dog backed out
of its harness and took off for parts unknown. It was a stressful time for
Sarah, but she was beaming on Sunday morning.

USFSS thanks the Bristol Organizing Committee and IFSS for
a superb event. A grand time was had by all, friends renewed their
acquaintances, met new friends, and learned and had fun. Mike Marsch, the USFSS
president, summed it up, “ I am so proud of our athletes. They came to the 2015
Dryland World Championship prepared and ready to compete against the best in the
world. This is the first time in USA dryland history we took home the most
medals. Bristol gave us a good race, good trail, and enabled us to experience
the camaraderie that goes with competition.”

The first
round of selections are done! We are pleased to announce the athletes who will
be competing for the US! Stay tuned for more info about payments, required
forms, uniforms, accommodations, etc.

A second round
of selections may be announced in the event we are awarded more slots by CAHDS/IFSS.

*= Preselected

Men’s Canicross

Nathan Cohn

Chris Speers

Men’s Canicross-Vet

Bill Boyd

Steven Murphy

Women’s Canicross

*Lillian
Stewart

Rachael Bryar Colbath

Brittany Colbath

Hillary Schwafel

Women’s Canicross-Vet

*Danae Bryar

Kimberly Murphy

Heather Brannen

Diane Locotos

Junior Men’s Canicross

*Asa Szegvari

Junior Women’s Canicross

*Nova
Clifford

Men’s Bikejoring

Mike Christman

Chris Carter

Rich Kisseloff

Men’s Bikejoring - Vet

*Steven Murphy

William Boyd

Scott Farmer

Peter Franke

Women’s Bikejoring

Angie Carter

Laurie Brandt

Hilary Schwafel

Women’s Bikejoring-Vet

*Kelley Mcgrath

Amy
Cooper

Kimberly
Murphy

Rebecca Knight

Junior Men’s Bikejoring

Asa Szegvari

Junior 1-Dog Scooter

Nova
Clifford

1-Dog Scooter

Brittany Colbath

Fran Plaisted

Kelley McGrath

2-Dog Scooter

*Kelley Mcgrath

*Jocelyn
Bradbury

Rachael Colbath

Mandy Collins

Scott Farmer

2-Dog Scooter Nordic

Peter Frank

4-Dog Rig

*Jocelyn Bradbury

*Jessica Doherty

Scott
Farmer

Jay Olmstead

Angie
Carter

4-Dog Rig Nordic Breed

Andre Van Der Merwe

Peter Frank

Steven Davis

4-Dog Rig Jr

Joey Carey

Tanner Johnson

6-Dog Rig

*Jocelyn Bradbury

*Peter Frank

Michael Marsch

Jessica Doherty

Angie Carter

8-Dog Rig

Jocelyn
Bradbury

Chris Carter

Steve Wilcenski

July 31, 2015

The time of
year for planning our races is once again upon us. USFSS is in the process of
planning our World Cup Race Program for the 2015/2016 race season.

We would like
to invite your race(s) to apply for IFSS Accreditation. We desire the accredited
races to be spread out across the United Sates to allow for all members to have
the opportunity to attend an accredited race for IFSS points.

How does it work?

We are taking
applications from various quality races across the United States to form a pool
of races to choose from for IFSS Accreditation. Once we have the applications,
according to IFSS rules, we will then select up to ten Dryland and ten Snow
races to accredit. We need to have the selected races sent in to IFSS for the
United States by September 1, 2015 for Dryland and November 1,
2015 for Snow for this coming season.

It is very
exciting to have Canada hosting the 2017 World Championships! This coming season
(2015/2016) is a qualifying year for those that desire to try and earn a spot on
the 2017 World Championship Team. USFSS members that have DID numbers (Driver
Identification Numbers) earn IFSS points at accredited races (World Cup) to
qualify for team selection for the upcoming 2017 World Championship. Since
Canada is within driving distance to many from the United States, there are
USFSS members looking to earn IFSS points for the selection process.

More
information can be found under the “World Cup Accreditation” tab at the left.

July 26, 2015

Congratulations to the newly elected board members and the incumbents, we look
forward to working with you and thank you for your service. We're all very
excited about the future of the sport. The current board is as follows:

USFSS Board of Directors - 2015

Mike Marsch, President (2015-2019)

Tone Coughlin, Vice President (2015-2019)

Sally Bair, Secretary (2015-2019)

Janet Saxon, Treasurer (2015-2019)

Amy Cooper, Active Athlete Director (2013-2017)

Jocelyn Bradbury, Active Athlete Director (2015-2019)

Rebecca Knight, Active Athlete Director (2015-2019)

Tim Carey, Active Athlete Director (2015-2019)

Kale Casey, At-Large Director (2013-2017)

Scott Farmer, At Large Director (2013-2017)

Jessica Pulliam, At-Large Director (2015-2019)

Carol Kaynor, At-Large Director (2015-2019)

DeDe Wilcenski,
At-Large Director (2015-2019)

Ernie Hediger, At-Large Director (2015-2017)

July 25, 2015

USFSS Congress

All are invited to “attend” the 5th
USFSS Congress this Saturday starting at 10:00am CST via telephone conference
call. Non-members are invited and encouraged to participate but only current
USFSS members may vote.

Call-in Information:

We will be conducting our meeting
via www.freeconferencecall.com There
will be both audio, utilizing your phone and video, utilizing your computer
screen. You do not have to participate through the video link. It’s an option we
thought we’d try to promote a more personable experience.

The dial in information is
712-775-7031. Follow the instructions and provide the access code when
instructed which is: 796600#. To join the conference via video, you will need to
go the www.freeconferencecall.com homepage.
Click on online meeting, then click on join meeting. Enter dogdaze as the online
meeting ID. At this point there should be a few other smiley faces staring back
at you.

Meeting / Conference Call
Courtesy

For those members attending the
meeting by telephone conference or video, please observe the following
courtesies:

· Announce your name before you
speak. PLEASE!

· If you must leave the Congress,
announce this so that the secretary can record this in the minutes. It is part
of the necessary credentials report. All members present and participating must
be listed & named.

The
ISDVMA has recently negotiated a contract with www.Lulu.com to market
the 2015, 3rd Edition of the popular and long-awaited Musher
and Veterinary Handbook.
The last edition was printed in 2000, so the new edition has a lot of new
material to offer. The long wait is over.

May 11, 2015

Race Judge or Anti Doping Control Officer

Attention anyone that may be interested in being a Race Judge or Anti Doping
Control Officer. There is the chance that training may be offered at Bristol
prior to the World Championships. If you have any interest or would like more
information, please contact Anne McIntyre
vp.sport@sleddogsport.net

May 8, 2015

Team USA : Invitation to Apply

Dear Athletes:

Thank you for your interest in
representing the United States at the 2015 Dryland World Championship in
Bristol, Quebec, Canada. It will be an incredible event!

We have a lot of interest being shown from many US athletes
who have a desire to be on the team.

Please allow clarification of the procedure for your
potential selection to the USFSS World Championship Team. Selection is fair,
and only the best representatives/athletes who have fulfilled the selection
criteria shall be considered in order to put forth our best National team.

To be ELIGIBLE for the Team USA
selection process, the following requirements must be met:

1. Be a current member of The United States Federation of
Sleddog Sports

• USFSS is the governing body of the sport in the USA

• Non-members are NOT eligible to compete for a slot on the
US team.

2. Apply for a DID number through USFSS and submit the
appropriate fees to USFSS. You must be a current USFSS member to apply. You
may pay both fees online.

Note: The above conditions are in no way a guarantee that
you will be accepted to Team USA. These are minimum requirements to earn
a position on the team.

USFSS shall review all applications with equal regard for
race results, potential for success at World Championships, and an individual’s
ability to represent the USA in a proper and professional manner while
representing the USA. Anyone with a prior doping violation or current
investigation shall not be considered eligible.

In the case of a 'tie' between candidates, the race results
history may be expanded and the contributions of the musher to USFSS may be
considered. All decisions rendered by the USFSS are final.

In addition, USFSS may offer a "wild card" to one or more
teams if an extra Team slot is available. Details will be posted on the USFSS
website.

It is the goal of the USFSS to provide the best US National
Race Team representation possible. Your support is appreciated either by
membership, or other active involvement.

2014/2015 USFSS Dryland World Cup
Standings as of 3/27/15 (for USFSS members with DID’s)

Below are the updated U.S. dryland standings. The 6-dog class at the Dirty Dog
Dryland Derby didn't meet the minimum distance requirements therefore it wasn't
accredited but the points were inadvertently added in. Consequently there are
some minor changes in the 6-dog standings once these points were removed.

Men’s Canicross

1.Ed
Clifford
300.000

2.William Boyd
284.4515

3.Nathan
Cohn
181.7065

Women’s Canicross

1.Lily Stewert
294.1628

2.Danae Bryar 216.6828

3.Rachel
Colbath 184.088

4.Brittany
Colbath
163.8557

5.Kimberly
Murphy 94.0867

6.Jocelyn
Bradbury 70.5242

Men’s Jr. Canicross

1.Asa Szegvari
283.31

Men’s Bikejor

1.Steven
Murphy 258.258

2.Ed
Clifford 255.1671

3.William
Boyd 238.2304

4.Scott
Farmer 191.2447

5.Mike
Christman 100.000

6.Peter
Frank 82.0445

Women’s Bikejor

1.Kelley
McGrath 293.2573

2.Angie
Carter 170.9125

3.Kimberly
Murphy 89.0443

Men’s Jr. Bikejor

1.Asa Szegvari
265.1624

1-Dog Scooter

1.Brittany
Colbath
85.5216

2.Fran
Plaisted 83.8624

Jr. 1-Dog Scooter

1.Nova
Clifford 268.8289

2-Dog Scooter

1.Kelley
McGrath 295.1305

2.Jocelyn
Bradbury 295.065

3.Amy
Cooper 199.1238

4.Rachel
Colbath 183.2649

5.Lily Stewert 181.1395

6.Scott
Farmer 171.7222

7.Angie
Carter 99.6287

8.Fran
Plaisted 79.1544

9.William
Boyd 78.2197

10.Michele
Boyd 63.3737

4-Dog Rig

1.Jocelyn
Bradbury 195.2458

2.Michael
Marsch 188.7537

3.Scott
Farmer 187.3615

4.Michele
Boyd 164.0907

5.Dave
Turner 145.4189

6.Fran
Plaisted 98.6395

7.Angie
Carter 80.0631

8.Tone
Coughlin 79.3869

9.Peter Franke 76.1655

4-Dog Rig Nordic Breed

1.Andre Van
Der Merwe 100.000

6-Dog Rig

1.Jocelyn
Bradbury 180.3604

2.Ed
Clifford 176.1678

3.Michael
Marsch 95.4403

4.Jay
Olmstead 86.2084

5.Fran
Plaisted 84.8627

6.Dave
Turner 79.8213

6-Dog Rig Nordic Breed

1.Peter Franke 100.00

2.Andre Van
Der Merwe 80.7197

8-Dog Rig

1.Jocelyn
Bradbury 97.174

2.Chris
Carter 93.0059

3.Ed
Clifford 90.703

4.Dave
Turner 88.9552

March 9, 2015

Below are the current U.S. World Cup
Dryland standings for USFSS members with DID's.

2014/2015
USFSS Dryland World Cup Standings as of 3/9/15 (for USFSS members with DID’s)

Men’s Canicross

1.Ed
Clifford: 300.000

2.William
Boyd: 284.4515

3.Nathan
Cohn: 181.7065

Women’s Canicross

1.Lily
Stewert: 294.1628

2.Danae
Bryar: 216.6828

3.Rachel
Colbath: 184.088

4.Brittany
Colbath: 163.8557

5.
Kimberly Murphy: 94.0867

6.Jocelyn
Bradbury: 70.5242

Men’s Jr. Canicross

1.Asa
Szegvari: 283.31

Men’s Bikejor

1.Steven
Murphy: 258.258

2.Ed
Clifford: 255.1671

3.William
Boyd: 238.2304

4.Scott
Farmer: 191.2447

5.Mike
Christman: 100.000

6.Peter
Frank: 82.0445

Women’s Bikejor

1.Kelley
McGrath: 293.2573

2.Angie
Carter: 170.9125

3.Kimberly
Murphy: 89.0443

Men’s Jr. Bikejor

1.Asa
Szegvari: 265.1624

1-Dog Scooter

1.Brittany
Colbath: 85.5216

2.Fran
Plaisted: 83.8624

Jr. 1-Dog Scooter

1.Nova
Clifford: 268.8289

2-Dog Scooter

1.Kelley
McGrath: 295.1305

2.Jocelyn
Bradbury: 295.065

3.Amy
Cooper: 199.1238

4.Rachel
Colbath: 183.2649

5.Lily
Stewert: 181.1395

6.Scott
Farmer: 171.7222

7.Angie
Carter: 99.6287

8.Fran
Plaisted: 79.1544

9.William
Boyd: 78.2197

10.Michele
Boyd: 63.3737

4-Dog Rig

1.Jocelyn
Bradbury: 195.2458

2.Michael
Marsch: 188.7537

3.Scott
Farmer: 187.3615

4.Michele
Boyd: 164.0907

5.Dave
Turner: 145.4189

6.Fran
Plaisted: 98.6395

7.Angie
Carter: 80.0631

8.Tone
Coughlin: 79.3869

9.Peter
Franke: 76.1655

4-Dog Rig Nordic Breed

1.Andre Van
Der Merwe: 100.000

6-Dog Rig

1.Michael
Marsch: 195.4403

2.Jocelyn
Bradbury: 180.3604

3.Ed
Clifford: 176.1678

4.Dave
Turner: 161.486

5.Jay
Olmstead: 86.2084

6.Fran
Plaisted: 84.8627

7.Tone
Coughlin: 84.5549

6-Dog Rig Nordic Breed

1.Peter
Franke: 100.00

2.Andre Van
Der Merwe: 80.7197

8-Dog Rig

1.Jocelyn
Bradbury: 97.174

2.Chris
Carter: 93.0059

3.Ed
Clifford: 90.703

4.Dave
Turner: 88.9552

February 23, 2015

Good afternoon all -

Today
is Monday Feb 23rd and as the snow is now mixed with
rain and everyone is enjoying what they can of a 'day
off', it's time for an update.

As you
have seen from our posts on Facebook, the crowds have
been fantastic and the racing has been exciting. Jessica
has really shown how much good a trip to Norway can be
for someone who is working with a pulk. Her transition
from pulk to skijor was as good as anyone from Norway
and far better than most of the competitors from Europe
and elsewhere. Jessica raced in the 1 dog Friday, the 1
dog combine on Saturday and did the 8k skijor leg for a
mixed team including Susannah Kelley and Vicki from the
UK. Tomorrow she takes on day 1 of the two dog skijor.

Rich
Kisselof proves to be the fastest American skijor racer at
the games with 4 minutes on Dallas and myself on the 16k
course on Friday. He finished in 17th place. Dallas and
Comet finished 9 seconds ahead of myself and Rich's great
dog Ovi. Rich and I rounded out the top 20 with a 19th and
20th place. We all can take a bit of pride in beating all
of the 5 German skijor racers. The course was fairly warm
on Friday and several dogs had issues with the heat and
long steady uphill climbs. Vesa-Pekka from Finland
defended his first place finish in Alaska with another win
of just 3.8 seconds over a young and upcoming 20 year old
Norweigan racer named Mikal.

Amy Cooper
entered the relay without two of her pups and we are all
grateful that Jessica loaned Amy her dog Argo so that Team
USA could carry on with getting much needed experience in
mass starts and relays. The relay was 8k skijor, 8k skijor
and 8k 4 dog. Dallas led off for Team USA and Rich followed.
We were among 8 other teams to get a warning for nor
following the IFSS rules of holding your dog's harness for
75 meters and single poling at the start. Other teams
included essentially everyone but Norway. So Steiner (race
marshall) decided to give verbal warnings with firm
instructions to teach our people (and people everywhere)
what the standard mass start racing technique should be when
starting with skijor or combined.

Norway took 1
& 2 in the relay, followed by 3 young racers in their early
20's from Switzerland and a very fast team from the Czech
Republic.

Norway is
dominating the medal count but there are very promising young
racers from several european countries. Jordan and I are filming
and interviewing many of the best and we are finding that though
their dogs mainly are greysters from Lena's bloddlines,
federations such as the Swiss are focusing on two week training
camps around New Year's which bring all of their racers - young
and old - together to work on techniques, share dogs and
training techniques, and build skills through hands on
experience and mentorship. It is paying off in a big way.

Amy's four dog
team should be rested up and ready for the three day race
beginning Friday-Sunday. Rich and Jessica compete in the two dog
for two days starting tomorrow. Egil and Helen arrive Tuesday
night and will be staying at our guest lodge in Todtmoos. Clint
and Mandy Graham from Australia arrive tomorrow as well and will
be staying with us to cheer on the team.

The venue in
Todtmoos is closer than where it has been for the races in Bernau.
We have seen 6,000 plus spectators, walking all around the course
and cheering on competitors. In Todtmoos the numbers should be even
greater.

Opening ceremonies
were held last Thursday in an auditorium and the regional band (50
plus - flutes, trumpets, french horns, etc) played. The caterer had a
small menu and drink/food was not free. Dinner was 8 or 9 euros. Many
but not all attended and the cost of the food was a bit of a surprise.
Free champagne was served at the door and the mood was festive with
speeches from the Mayor of Bernau and a flag ceremony by the
youngsters. There was no parade (to our disappointment) but Amy Cooper
had us ready with small flags to wave etc.

Saturday after Day 2 of
racing was an outdoor awards ceremony at 1900 followed by a great big
dinner (same menu as Thursday night = ham/kraut, hearty soup and
sausage, meat goulash with gravy plus bread) in the huge tent near the
finish at the main venue. This time the food and drink were free and
everyone ate until they were satisfied and the catering crew did "the
wave" with their 35 employees. It was a beautiful night.

We will have another such
night on Saturday the 27th in Todtmoos and I am excited to be there. We
are gaining much needed experience and perhaps inspiration as well to
bring a bit more professionalism to our local regions as mass starts (esp
in skijoring) are becoming a bit more popular. Many discussions and brain
storming sessions about how the US in general can 'get it together' have
kept us up to the wee hours of the morning but what a fantastic time to do
so. Everything is exciting and the level of racing reminds us that save
for Amy & Egil, the rest of us are just honored to be in the same races as
these elite racers and their lightning fast power dogs.

Hope all is well with you
and pray for us that the temps drop and this awful new rain/snow lets up so
our skijor racers can have a great clean run.

Best to all and many thanks
for your support both in making this happen and giving your time to keep USFSS
alive and well.

Kale

February 3, 2015

Announcement:

Effective immediately through the month of February,
the membership dues from all new USFSS memberships, club or individual, will
be used to offer financial assistance to Team USA for the costs associated
with their participation at the World Championships in Germany. What an
awesome opportunity to help support your US athletes and receive the full
benefit of USFSS membership as well. We thank you so much for taking
advantage of this opportunity. Our athletes will do their best to make you
proud of your decision to support their efforts.

November 18, 2014

To All Interested
Concerns:

The USFSS board has made the following selections to
represent the US at the 2015 World Championship on snow to be hosted by
Germany in Bernau/Todtmoos, Germany.

We are very pleased to have such a high caliber of
athletes willing to commit extensive resources for the benefit of
representing our country. We are confident they will all be great
ambassadors of our sport and country.

Amy Cooper and Kale Casey will be the US Team
Captains. Amy will also assist with travel and hotel accommodation
arrangements. Mike Marsch will provide technical support before and during
the events.

In closing congratulations to these fine athletes who
have achieved a high standard of success on the trail to earn their place on
the team.

Sincerely,

The USFSS Board

October 22, 2014

The United States Federation
of Sleddog Sports (USFSS) has developed criteria which will be used in the
selection process of Team USA (see the link to the left). The full
implementation of these criteria will not happen immediately. However, we
have begun the process of developing a World Cup circuit in all regions of
the US so all interested athletes will have the opportunity to earn a berth
on the team. The selection committee will still have some flexibility to
include athletes from regions where full development of these criteria has
not occurred.

The reason we are moving in
this direction for the selection of Team USA is based on the request from
athletes to have more specific criteria so they know and can plan to
accomplish their place on the US team. An advantage of developing these
criteria is to make for a more exciting race circuit for the benefit of
sponsors and race giving organizations.

Participating in a World
Championship will not interest everyone. There are many ways for athletes
to enjoy and participate in our great sport other than in a WCh.
Participation requires a major commitment in time and money and
unfortunately USFSS has not generated the financial resources to help
supplement the cost of participation. We continue to explore a revenue
stream, but it has been challenging thus far.

The idea of a World
Championship is intended to create a competition between other countries
from around the globe. For those of us who have participated, there’s not a
more exciting competition than a WCh. You not only feel the joy of
individual accomplishment, but the team atmosphere and patriotic success is
absolutely incredible.

USFSS is encouraging the
entire sleddog community to get involved and help Team USA reach its goals
and objectives. USFSS is striving to develop a competitive federation on
the trail and a fair and equitable process for athletes who desire to pursue
participation on the team.

In closing USFSS is a member
driven organization. We exist to represent you the athlete and the country
we love. If you feel we are going in the wrong direction or are not
responding to your concerns, let us know or better yet, consider running for
a board seat or volunteering to sit on a committee.

September 1, 2014

IFSS DID's - Driver Identification

Any athlete who wants to earn World Cup points
or participate in the World or Continental Championships must have a DID
(Driver Identification Number). The DID shall be requested from IFSS by the
member federation (USFSS). More information can be found here:

USFSS
is proud to announce we are now accepting applications for the 2015 WCh Snow
to be held in Germany February 21-March 1. The skidog events, mid-distance
and 4-dog mass start will be held in Bernau February 20-25. The sprint events
will be held in Todtmos February 27-March 1, 2015.

The
application deadline is November 1, 2014. Selections will be made no later
than December 1, 2014. You need to be a USFSS member to apply. I have also
attached a DID application you should fill out and return with your race
application. The DID fee is $40. It is required to participate in an IFSS
event. We are not aware of what financial assistance will be available to
help with travel expense at this time. As usual it will only help offset the
cost. Unfortunately, you will be on your own to raise the majority of the
money associated with your participation. If you have the resources, this
could be a once in a life time opportunity. We will be considering character
as much as performance in our selection process. So if you have the means to
attend, please don’t hesitate to submit an application. The great thing
about Germany is the point of entry is much easier concerning humans and
dogs. We will not have as much red tape to jump through as was the case for
Norway in 2011.

While
I’m making Championship announcements, I would like to make you aware of the
submission of a bid from the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce in Cable,
Wisconsin to host the 2017 WCh snow. How exciting will it be to once again
have a WCh in the lower 48 of the USA? We understand there will also be a bid
from Canada, but the worst case scenario is the losing bidder will host the
2016 Continental Championships. The next 2 years will be an extremely exciting
opportunity for our sport, lots of exposure.

It has
been a slow process. We lack human and financial resources to be everything
we’d like to be, but now is the time for the entire sleddog community of our
country: distance, sprint and skidog, to come together and begin the
planning of these events. Please consider this an invitation to get
involved. My contact information is in this email.

In
closing, we have a US team for a 2015 WCh to field first. If we want the
World to come to North America in 2017, we should show up there in 2015.
USFSS can’t wait to hear from you. Please be certain to submit all fees. If
you are not selected the race fee will be returned. All other fees are
non-refundable.

Sincerely,

Mike
Marsch

August 21, 2014

2015 IFSS WINTER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!

The best athletes from countries around the world will come together to
compete in the World Championships on snow at two locations in Germany. The
first location will be Bernau on February 20-22 and 24-25, and the second
Todtmoos on February 27-28 and March 1, 2015.

All details of classes, distances and entry fees are now finalized and are
contained in the Invitation Package below.

My name is Mike Marsch. I have been honored for the past
three years to be the USFSS President. I’ve been a board member for 6 years. I
have a simple philosophy; if it’s broke fix it, if it’s not broke break it, and
then fix it. During the 30 years I’ve been involved in our sport, the status
quo has always limited our ability to think out of the box, to make adjustments,
to move forward. We get comfortable in the way we do things, but by my
assessment, our sport is in trouble. We have fewer racers, fewer spectators and
fewer dollars. What’s a sport to do?

We need to maximize our limited resources. The sleddog
community must develop a strategic plan. Back in the early 90’s I remember a
planning seminar that was held down in Chicago, so the sleddog community from
all over the country could come together and sort through our future. It may be
time for one of those seminars again. I’m certain many excellent ideas and
strategies for their implementation would come out of a gathering of the minds,
but the real question is do we have a workforce to carry them out. Most
organizations in our country have declining membership, and it’s the same
volunteer group who take up challenge after challenge. We need an infusion of
new people willing to work towards making sleddog sports visible to the general
populous and what better way is there to accomplish that, than through a World
Championship.

As I tune into the final soccer match today between
Germany and Argentina, I reflect on the past month of matches which included the
United States. Is it the sport of soccer or is it support for our country that
has helped propel the attention this World Cup has received within the US? The
answer is probably both, but the non-soccer fan is all in because of the desire
to see the US do well against other countries. Whether we love soccer or our
country most of the time doesn’t matter, we love it in the moment.

IFSS is the international organization that is responsible
to bring the world together for the purpose of World Championships. The USFSS
is the organization within the US that is responsible to build our team. US
soccer has really advanced in our country, but unfortunately most sleddog sports
have not. Yes, the Iditarod is still popular and dryland events are growing,
but the sport in general is stagnating.

There have been many over the years that have stated,
sleddog sports will never get into the Olympics. It doesn’t have to, we have a
system with the intent of creating the euphoria of a World Championship already
in place, but we have to promote it.

I know you’re probably tired of my soccer references, but
it’s a great analogy right now because of the FIFA WCp. US soccer 20 years ago
was pale in its ability to compete with other countries on a world stage. We
weren’t very good, but the US soccer program developed a comprehensive strategy
to improve the skill level and popularity of the game in our country.
Congratulations to them, it seems to have worked. I don’t have all the answers,
but I have a good idea of what needs to get done. The model for developing a
sport is the easy part, getting people to do the work is the hard part.

In closing, I’d like to see the individuals and
organizations currently engaged in our sport come together for a weekend of
comprehensive strategic planning. Hire a Professional Facilitator who can guide
us through the process of developing a comprehensive plan. We have become too
fractioned in our efforts. We have many good people and organizations involved
in the sport. We have many good events and sleddog activities going on within
our sport, but it lacks cohesion. We have such limited resources available to
us. I just feel for those of us who care about our sports direction we need to
come together and sort out our future. A conference of this nature 23 years ago
accomplished a great deal, I think it could again. We need lead dogs and team
dogs!! Yes, it would be an investment of perhaps a $1,000 for the weekend with
airfare, hotel, food and the conference, but isn’t our sport worth it? I’m open
to other ideas which could accomplish the intent of this conference, such as
regional workshops, but the format we used last time worked well. There were
over 150 participants from all over NA who for 2 ½ days brainstormed what our
sport should look like, and how we get it to look that way.

I feel the time is now to revisit our past and plan for our
future. We can develop a comprehensive plan in many different ways, but the
time is now to embrace the process. Anyone else interested?

August 15, 2013

USFSS Holds Biennial Congress

By Sally O’Sullivan Bair

Harrisburg, PA – June 29, 2013, saw a skeleton crew
assembled for the biennial congress of the USFSS (US Federation of Sleddog
Sports). Held in conjunction with ISDRA’s (International Sled Dog Racing
Association) annual conference, three main items were on the agenda:
revision/simplification of the bylaws, the election of the open positions for
board directors, and discussion on the feasibility of staging a US championship.

The bylaws were revised to simplify the membership and
voting representation. Previously, each category of membership was allotted an
aggregate vote number. Now, all that is required for voting is that 20% of those
voting be Active Athlete members (those who have entered competition within the
last ten years). This 20% representation is a requirement of the USOC (US
Olympic Committee). A credentials report will verify the correct percentage.

The bylaw revision also made provisions for voting between
congresses and absentee voting. Geographic distances in the US frequently
preclude members from attending a congress in person. Therefore, it was deemed
prudent to allow for absentee voting, thus making for better representation on
important issues and votes.

Although the USFSS Board is tasked with handling all the
business between congresses, there may arise occasions where the input of all
members on important votes would be desired or required. Therefore, the Congress
passed a bylaw to provide for this.

In addition to the bylaw revisions and election of board
members, the congress also discussed staging a National Championship (NCh) in
2016. Various ideas were raised, primarily associated with a venue and
sponsorships.

Election results are as follows:*

The Active Athletes Council re-elected Amy Cooper of
Holmen, Wisconsin, to the board for another four-year term. An eighteen-year
veteran of the sport, Cooper has become a name on the limited sprint circuit in
Nome (sled) style and Nordic skijoring. She is a bronze medalist in the 2013
IFSS World Championships in Alaska in the 4-dog sprint class and has been active
in promoting the dryland aspects of our sport. With a B.A.S. degree in
veterinary technology, she works as a research technician at the University of
Wisconsin in La Crosse. She is anxious to use her skills in the promotion and
development of the sport.

Janet Saxon (Golden, Colorado) was elected to fulfill the
position of treasurer for a four-year term. Saxon has been acting treasurer
since last summer, having been a board member for the past few years. She has
seen action as a member of Team USA at the Norway 2011 IFSS World Championships
and has been an active participant in bicycling sports, where she served as a
treasurer.

Kale Casey and Sally O’Sullivan Bair were elected to the
board as at-large members for four-year terms. Casey (Paonia, Colorado) brings a
bowlful of enthusiasm and ideas, having been a member of Team USA in the 2013
Alaska IFSS World championships. He was introduced to the sport by a neighbor
and experienced a comical rookie skijor year in 2010. Since then he has
fine-tuned his team and his Nordic skills and at the 2013 WCh in Alaska entered
all five skidog classes, the first American to do so. His ten-year goal includes
inspiring or recruiting determined athletes from the ranks of America’s vastly
talented high school and collegiate Nordic skiers. A 1994 graduate of Stanford,
Casey’s career as a wildfire incident medical specialist keeps him busy and in
harm’s way. He provides medical support to firefighters working on the front
lines as well as runs medical units for all sizes of fire camps. This summer he
has seen busy action in Alaska.

Sally O’Sullivan Bair (Monticello, Minnesota) previously
served on the board and, as an IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports)
certified doping control officer, is currently the chair of the USFSS
anti-doping committee. She comes with a wealth of experience not only from a
30-year teaching career at the high school level in the social sciences,
literature and learning disabilities but also from her tenure as IFSS’s
secretary general from 1999-2012. She is a retired limited class sprint racer,
where she competed for 20+ years and garnered trophies at the local level. A
graduate of Colorado Woman’s College of Denver University, she did her graduate
work at Bemidji State University in Minnesota in special education. She is
currently the editor of the Tugline, the publication of the North Star
Sled Dog Club.

USFSS welcomes the new board members and anticipates with
excitement a productive upcoming year.

* USFSS has staggered terms for its board members.

June 17, 2013

The United States Federation of Sleddog Sports takes great
pleasure in announcing and extending to US racers an invitation to apply for the
2013 Dryland World Championships to be held in Falze di Piave, Italy November
7-10.

This is an awesome opportunity to see the beautiful
countryside of Italy while you represent the United States at this prestigious
event. We do expect there to be travel assistance available to US competitors,
the amount has not been established.

There’s an attached program, class breakdown and USFSS
application. We encourage you to apply even if you’re uncertain you’ll be able
to make the trip. The deadline for applications is August 15, 2013. There will
be a 1st round selection of 3 US team members per class by September
1, 2013.

There are always issues to contend with when traveling
abroad with dogs. USFSS will provide all the necessary technical assistance
you’ll need to understand your and your dogs travel requirements. We will also
find suitable housing for the US team while in Italy. We will work hard to make
your experience as a member of the US team as hassle free as possible, but there
will be logistical challenges, so be prepared to deal with the unusual if you
decide to apply.

You need to be a current member of USFSS. Our annual dues
cycle runs October 1, thru September 30. If you are not a current member, your
dues will need to be submitted with your application.

World dryland racing is extremely competitive. The
Federations within IFSS, all have excellent teams. It will be a challenge for
our country to get on the podium, but if our best US dryland teams apply, we
will be competitive. Thanks for considering this challenge.

Sincerely,

USFSS

SAVE THE DATE!

June 28-30,, 2013 in Harrisburg, PA, USFSS will be having their
spring meeting/congress in conjunction with ISDRA’s annual meeting. More details
to follow!

USFSS’s Final Team
Roster for the 2013 IFSS World Championships

SKIDOG CLASSES

1 Dog
Skijor – Women

1.Stephanie
Dwyer

2.Rebecca Voris

3.Rebecca
Knight

4.Theresa Heckart

5.Kriya Dunlap

6.Jamie Johnson

7.Sara Elzy

8.Kelley McGrath

1 Dog Skijor – Men

1.Mike Christman

2.Chuck Pratt

3.Kale Casey

4.Greg Jurek

5.Scott Aimone

6.Jason Sperry

1 Dog Pulka – Women

1. Kiersten Lippman

1 Dog Pulka – Men

1.Scott Aimone

2.Jason Sperry

3.Kale Casey

2 Dog
Skijor – Women

1.Stephanie
Dwyer

2.Christina Turman

3.Rebecca Knight

4.Rebecca Voris

5.Kriya Dunlap

6.Jamie Johnson

7.
Emillie Entrikin

8.Kelley McGrath

2 Dog Skijor- Men

1.Kale Casey

2.Greg Jurek

3.Chuck Pratt

4.Andrew Warwick

5.Mike Christman

Nordic Combined – Women

1.Rebecca Voris

2.Sunnifa Deehr

3.Kristen Lippmann

Nordic Combined - Men

1.Scott Aimone

2.Jason Sperry

3.Kale Casey

SLED CLASSES

4 Dog Junior

1.Dakota
Schlosser

2.Lilly Stewart

4 Dog –
RNB No event

4 Dog Sled - Pursuit

1.Jay Olmstead Jr

2.Kourosh Partow

3.Lilly Stewart

4.Jennifer Sterling

5.Jennifer Probert

6.Amy Maclean

7.
Kathy Faryniarz

8.Amy Cooper

9.Jessica Doherty

10.Grace Baily

11.Debra Castro

4 Dog Sled - Mass Start

1.Jay Olmstead Jr

2.Lilly Stewert

3.Jessica Doherty

4.Grace Bailey

5.Amy Mclean

6.Amy Cooper

7.Kathy Faryniarz

8.Jennifer Probert

9.Jennifer Sterling

6 Dog Sled

1.Ami Gjestson

2.John Perry

3.Jessica Doherty

4.Kimberly Wells

5.Beverly Stevens

6.Grace Bailey

7.Koroush Partow

8 Dog Sled

1.Jennifer Probert Erhart

2.Evelyn Beeter

3.Ed Arobio

4.Kris Rasey

5.Jason Dunlap

6.Jennifer Sterling

Unlimited Sled

1.Arleigh
Reynolds

2.Nathan
Sterling

3.Greg Sellentin

4.Ken Chezik

5.Jason Dunlap

6.Rob Worden

7.Randy DeKuiper

Mid-distance Sled 8-12
dog - No event

Mid-distance Sled 6-dog - No event

Race Update:

Just announced the
Indian River Sprint Race in Indian River, Michigan has been added to the Wild
Card race circuit. The race is scheduled for January 26 and 27. For more
information go to
www.isdra.org. We’d like to thank the IRSR committee for providing this
awesome opportunity for WCh applicants to qualify out of the Midwest region.

The postponement of the Langlade Co. Culver’s TB Challenge to
February 23-24 due to lack of snow, has provided an opportunity for the Willow
Springs Round Barn Sled Dog Rally in Wausau, WI to become the new Wisconsin wild
card race event.

The race is scheduled for January 26-27, but if you plan to race
for a spot on the US team, you will need to apply by January 7. Make
application through MU&SA at www.mushingusa.org
or contact Mike Marsch at dogdaze@tds.net

USFSS WILD CARD RACE UPDATE

December 31, 2012

I want to
remind you there is only 1 week left for application into the Wild Card
qualifying round for the IFSS WCh’s. The deadline for entry is January 7, 2013.

Your MUSA
membership and IFSS race application must be received by January 7, 2013. You
must pay your $25.00 MUSA membership dues, but the IFSS event entry fee is not
due at this time, but we do need to know what event you hope to qualify for.

The race
circuit is throughout January and February 2&3. However, you must become a MUSA
member and submit an application for the event you hope to qualify for by
January 7, 2013.

MUSA will
let the race organization who is hosting the Wild Card races know who is
competing prior to the event. Also, if you have previously submitted an
application but were not selected, you are automatically entered into the Wild
Card races. All you need to do is go race.